The treasured tea parties of childhood have grown up and can be relived today in a historic, antique-filled Victorian mansion in Burton Village. Quintealia's Tea…
The treasured tea parties of childhood have grown up and can be relived today in a historic, antique-filled Victorian mansion in Burton Village.
Quintealia’s Tea Parlor, 14585 E. Park St, is a series of cozy rooms that welcome guests into a gentler era of oversized hats, bustles and good manners.
A spacious lobby displays a collection of colorful antique teapots in front of a spectacular carved oak staircase.
Individual parlors have inviting overstuffed settees facing welcoming fireplaces, and diners sit on antique Queen Anne chairs at mahogany tables that Grandmother would envy, as soft music soothes the ears and makes for easy lunchtime conversations.
“Each parlor is arranged for everyone to experience the art of tea with all the senses, not just drinking what’s in a cup,” explained Annette Phillips, Quintealia’s co-owner. “We want each room to be like a room in an elegant home.”
Phillips, of Lyndhurst, and business partner Renee Petro, of Mentor, called Quintealia’s a labor of love, which reflects their shared interests in history, tradition, antiques and tea.
“Most of my friends don’t get it,” Phillips said. “I love old things — old costumes, old traditions, old books. These things have character. They can’t tell their stories, but they can be a part of a new story.”
When the two friends met at the Cleveland ballet many years ago, they discovered a mutual interest in the Victorian era.
They found they had similar passions for antiques and had collections that reflected the same taste in decor. They enjoyed combing flea markets and estate sales for treasures that filled their homes.
Both have spent their early careers either working or volunteering for nonprofit agencies such as WomenSafe, which is where they developed a love for Geauga County.
They attended Leadership Geauga and became active in women’s business groups such as the Red Key Network, where they picked up tips on how to start and run their own business.
Going into business together was the next logical step, Phillips said.
“We made the commitment that we would work hard, hand in hand, and failure was not an option,” she said.
Their plan came together one Sunday when Phillips and her family were attending a pancake breakfast in Burton.
“I was with my grandchildren at the Log Cabin, when I looked across the street, saw this house and thought what a perfect place it would be for a Victorian tea room,” she recalled. “Then I saw there was a For Sale sign in the window, so I called the very next day.”
The two women couldn’t wait to tour the house — built in 1891 by Seabury Ford’s son, George — so they peeked in the window and immediately fell in love with the flowered wallpaper and carved oak fireplace they saw in one of the rooms.
“We knew this house would be our third partner,” Phillips said.
“We knew this was it and it would be all or nothing,” Petro added.
The women laughed when they said their husbands both loved the idea of filling the old house with antiques from their basements and garages, because it cleared their collections out of their homes.
“It made them so happy,” Phillips said.
Coming up with a name was the easy part, according to the women.
“My grandmother came to this country from Italy when she was 17 and didn’t know the language,” Phillips said. “Her name was Quintelia and all she wanted to do in life was to bake. But people had a hard time with her name and told her they were going to call her Clara. She was a sweet, gentle lady so she went along with it.”
She added,?”I always thought she was robbed of her beautiful name, so we used it, but added an ‘a’ for ‘tea.'”
Petro said when Quintelia came to America at 17, she “took a leap of faith, like we’re doing now.”
The women said they are happy their business began flourishing almost immediately, which they say is due to a welcoming business community in Burton, a caring staff and the uniqueness of what they offer.
“There are no teabags in here; we use loose tea and prepare everything the old fashioned way,” Phillips said. They offer a large selection of Rishi teas, which are organic and fair trade.
Quintealia’s specializes in all types of tea ceremonies, including afternoon tea and tea parties for all ages.
“We recently had a little girls’ tea party and it was so cute to see the girls come dressed in their princess costumes and wearing their hats,” Petro said. “They had a great time.”
Quintealia’s also serves a variety of scones, sandwiches, quiches, homemade soups and desserts. Petro said they started out with a simple menu and have expanded it with the seasons and to appeal to a variety of tastes.
Petro said they hope to expand with outdoor patio dining and possibly adding a garden in the rear of the property.
“We’d love to have tea parties in the garden,” Phillips said.
An antique shop, Valentine’s, will soon open on the building’s second floor and an art glass maker has a shop in an attached gazebo.
“We love this community and are overwhelmed at how we have been welcomed with open arms,” Phillips said. “People stop in with stories about this house and share childhood memories with us. We love to welcome people and hope they always feel at home here.”
Quintealia’s is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 440-834-1777 for more information or to make a reservation.
